LETTER DATED 17 FEBRUARY 1977 FROM THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF EGYPT TO THE UNITED NATIONS ADDRESSED TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL

Upon instructions from my Government, I have the honour to enclose herewith the statement issued on 16 February 1977 by His Excellency Ismail Fahmi, Deputy PrimeMinister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Egypt, concerning the Israeli expansionist policy and the establishment of Israeli settlements in the occupied Sinai.

I kindly request that this letter and the attached statement be distributed a document of the Security Council.

(Signed) A. Esmat Abdel MEGUID

Ambassador

Permanent Representative

Annex

STATEMENT OF l6 FEBRUARY 1977 BY THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF EGYPT CONCERNING ISRAELI EXPANSION THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SETTLEMENTS IN THE OCCUPIED SINAI

Mr. Ismail Fanmi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt declared on l6 February 1977 that information emanating from the occupied territories revealed that a belt of settlements, including a city called "Yamit" were being established by Israel in the north-eastern part of the Sinai, that the World Zionist Organization, which supervises the establishment of such settlements, had asked the Israeli Government for permission to establish 15 new villages, in addition to those previously established, and that more than 1,500 Arab families had been evicted from their homes. All this reflects clearly the expansionist policy of Israel and its persistence in a policy to obstruct the path towards peace.

Mr. Fahmi added that Israel was resorting to such a policy in spite of the unanimous decision of the Security Council of November 1976, when the United States joined in condemning such measures and in demanding their immediate cessation inasmuch as they constituted an obstacle to peace. That unanimous decision reinforced [this is in addition to] the decisive stands taken by the General Assembly of the United Nations and other international forums concerning the serious situation.

Mr. Fahmi also stated that Egypt had followed the Israeli measures from the beginning and had been the initiator in establishing international committees to investigate the Israeli practices in the occupied territories and in condemning such measures and considering them null and void. The meeting of the Security Council which ended with its unanimous statement reflecting the position of the highest international organ responsible for world peace and security had been held at the request of Egypt.

Mr. Ismail Fahmi said that the timing of such actions, on the eve of the visit of the American Secretary of State, was aimed at sabotaging that visit and negatively influencing the current active movements towards peace. Such measures clearly demonstrated Israel's intentions, its intransigence and its refusal to establish a just peace in the region.

The Egyptian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs continued his statement by saying that he had previously warned Israel of the consequences of such a policy. He wished to emphasize again that Egypt would not stand still in the face of that policy of challenging international law and international agreements, of obstructing peace and trying to sabotage its achievement. It Remained Egypt's firm stand that such measures did not constitute any right for Israel whatsoever, whatever the circumstances.

Mr. Ismail Fahmi concluded his statement by declaring that Egypt was currently conducting a series of intensive contacts concerning the matter. Egypt considered that Israel should bear all the consequences of its policy and that Israel in the end would be forced to remove all its settlements, as well as all the changes that it had introduced in the occupied Arab territories.